A new image taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft shows Jupiter’s skies covered in vivid clouds that swirl like colorful brushstrokes across a painting.
Photo taken during the spacecraft’s 61st flyby Jupiter May 12, 2024, focuses on activities in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. Juno At the time this new view was captured, Jupiter’s cloud cover was about 18,000 miles (29,000 km) high, highlighting the colorful streaks created by Jupiter’s constant storms and strong atmospheric winds.
“It gives scientists a detailed look at the chaotic clouds and cyclonic storms in a region known as the Folded Filament Region,” NASA officials said. July 19 Statement With photos. “In this region, the zonal jets that create the familiar banding patterns in Jupiter’s clouds break up, allowing turbulent patterns and cloud structures to evolve rapidly over a period of days.”
The raw image data was captured using a spacecraft. JunoCam deviceIt’s a visible light camera.
According to NASA officials, the new image was taken by citizen scientist Gary Eason, who used digital processing techniques to enhance the color and clarity of the clouds that surround Jupiter’s atmosphere.
Related: NASA’s Juno probe captures stunning image of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io (video)
At about 68 degrees north of the equator, this area of folded filaments displays a characteristic fluttering white color. cloud They are formed by convective outbursts and rapidly change into thinner, more elongated filaments. These types of regions, common near Jupiter’s polar regions, are known to be extremely violent and variable, due in part to the powerful jet streams generated by the planet’s rapid rotation.
every raw image Images taken by JunoCam will be made available to the public and processed, allowing citizen scientists to create stunning images of the gas giant.
